Manufacture of metal articles



Jan. 14, 1941. w. FADER, JR f y MANUACTURE OF METAL ARTICLES Filed oct. 1e, 1959 s sheets-sheet 1 1n. o, om B mi# 4 T o o .l l I .HI A Hu c T.. -n.v. o wiwi u h 4.-- --L I-- 010 a, j e// Y 4l a liu' r l I I I Il 4\ v 4 c 4 4 M EL! /o Jan.A 14, 1941; w. L.: FADER, .JR 2,228,448

MANUFACTURE OF METAL ARTICLES INVENTOR Jan. 14, 1941.

w. L. FADER, JR

MANUFACTURE OF METAL ARTICLES Filed oct. le, 1959 s sheets-sheet s Patented Jan. 14, 1941 MANUFACTURE oF METAL An'ricLEs William L. Fader, Jr., Sewickley, Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Forgings Company, a corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1939, Serial No. 299,600

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of metal articles, particularly to articles that are shaped from bars or straps of steel, and consists in a method of shaping.

In Letters Patent of the United States, No. 2,015,194, granted on September 24, 1935, to one Max Ruping, a resilient rail fastener is illustrated and described. Such rail fastener consists in an elongate shank continued at one end o in a resilient crook-shaped head. The head and the shank are centered in a common plane. The

device is of compound or bipartite structure; it l is formed of two parallel limbs of spring steel, integrated at one end, and pressed in surfaceto-surface contact into the form of the fastener. In service the shank is anchored in the body of a rail-tie orsleeper, with the tip of the crookshaped head pressed in rail-securing engagement upon the basal flange of the rail borne by the sleeper. y Y

In order to obtain greater efliciency in particular installations, it has recently been proposedtoy construct the fastener in more refined or elaborated form; that is, to construct the fastener with its crook-shaped head canted and twisted in its extent from the shank.

More particularly, the invention consists in a methodv that is specifically, though not exclusively, designed for the economical production of such elaborated rail fastener.

In theI accompanying drawings Fig. I lis a view in side elevation, and Fig. II a view in front elevation, ofthe fastener that in this case forms the product of the method of the invention.

Fig. III is a view, partly in vertical section and partly inside elevation of an apparatus, in the` operation of which the invention is realized. Fig. IV is a view, partly in plan from above and partly in horizontal section, of such apparatus. The plane of` section of Fig. III is indicated by the line III-III in Fig. IV, and the plane of section of Fig. IV is indicated by the line IV-IV in Fig.v III, and in both Figs. III and IV the apparatus is shown in an initial stage of operation. Figs. V and VI are views comparable respectively with'Figs. III and IV, illustrating the apparatus in a more advanced stage of operation. Fig. VII is a'sectional view of the lower portion of the apparatus, as seen on the vertical plane VII--VII of Fig. V, and Fig. VIII is a view of the same portion of the'apparatus, as seen on the broken horizontal plane VIII-VIII of Fig. V. Fig. IX is a View comparable with Figs. III and V, illustrating the apparatus inthe nal stage 65 ofoperation. And Fig. X is a fragmentary sectionalview of the apparatus, on the plane X-X of Fig. VIII, illustrating means (not elsewhere shown in the drawings) for operating one of the die members of the apparatus.

Referring to Figs. I and II, the reference numeral I is applied to the shank and 2 to the head of the rail fastener. The device, though integrally formed, is of laminar or bipartite structure. More specically, the fastener is formed from an u-shaped 1012.111; B wigs. In land 1v), 10 rounded at one end, with the two legs of the U of substantially equal length, parallel, and centered in common plane. In this case the blank consists in avstrap of spring steel medially folded into the form of an U. In the finished article the two limbs of the U extend in surface-tosurface contact. The folded end of the blank forms the shank I of the'device, while the opposite bipartite end, fashioned into the formof a shepherds crook,`forms the head 2. Asmentioned above, and as maybe perceived in the drawings, the reversely curved headv 2 is bent aside or canted with respect to the shank I, and towards the tip of the crook the head is bodily twisted. The form ofthe article is such that the tip of the crook-shaped head is offset an interval 3 (Fig. II) from the axis of the shank I, with the surface portion 2a of such tip (the surface portion that inservice bears immediately upon the flange of the rail toA be secured) inclined toa plane P normalto the axis of the shank I. Typically, theangle (a) of such inclination'is 14.

In the manufacture of thevabove-described rail fastener, in keeping with the method of this invention, the outer or free ends of the legs of the' U-shaped blank are bent to a position of angularity withfrespect tothe plane of the U, andthe so bent-aside ends of the lugs are brought linto surface-to-surface contactY and shapedinto the form of the crook-shaped head 2. More specifically, and as will presently more fully appear, the free,vangularly .extending ends of theA legs are bent, relatively to the united ends,.and swung throughv a path that extends in, and circumferentially of, a conical surface, and in the course of such operation the said free ends of the legs are closed in surface-to-surface contact, and shaped into a crook, with the body of the crook axially twisted in its extent from a medial vpoint towards its tip. Otherwise expressed, thevbent-aside bipartite end ofthe blank is curvedto a diminishing spiral, a spiral that conforms to a conical'surface, and thetipy of the` so-shaped end of the blank is axially twisted, and

bent with reversal of curvature from the spiral. While thus shaping the legs into a crook, or immediately thereafter, the U is closed; that is, the united ends of the legs of the U are pressed 5 together and formed into a shank. Thus, the rail fastener is produced, with its crook-shaped head 2 canted and twisted in its extent from the shank I.

Turning to a consideration of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. III to X, a more comprehensive understanding of the method will be obtained, although it is to be remarked that, while such apparatus is particularly efficient and valuable, it is not the only apparatus which, conceivably, might be used in the practice of the invention defined within the terms and intent of the appended method claims.

The apparatus consists in a female die 4 and a male die 5. The female die is rigidly mounted upon a base 6 that may comprise, or may be secured to, the stationary bed of a mechanical press or bulldozer (not shown), and the male die is borne upon two or more posts 'I carried telescopically by a head 8, that may comprise,

or may be secured to, the powerfully reciprocated head of such press or bulldozer. In service the male die is reciprocated relatively to the female die, into and from metal-shaping position, and in the cours-e of such reciprocation the head 8 travels through a greater range than the die 5 carried thereby. That is to say, the male die 5 is normally spaced at an interval from the head 8, with springs 9 arranged between, and in the downward stroke of the reciprocating parts the die 5 closes upon the die 4 (i. e. upon a blank in the die 4) and comes to rest, while the head 8 continues in its descent, against the tens-ion of springs 9, and, coming to abutment upon the male die 5, forces such die into ultimate blankshaping position. 'I'he relative movement of the parts is reversed during the upstroke of the head.

The female die includes two die blocks 4a and 4b, which together form a work-receiving matrix M that has a door 4c and two plane s-ide walls 4d and 4e. The matrix side wall 4d is formed in the block 4b, while the matrix floor 4c and side wall 4e are formed in the block 4a, and the two blocks are relatively movable, such that the matrix M may be alternately widened, to receive a blank B (cf. Fig. IV), and narrowed, to

engage the blank (cf. Fig. VI). More specifically, the block 4a. is rigid with the base 6; the block 4b is secured to the base in a tongue-andgroove engagement I0; and block 4b is slideable in the groove relatively to block 4a. The advance of block 4b into blank-engaging position may be effected by any suitable means, say a cam I-I (Fig. X) mounted for rotary movement in suitable bearings (not shown) on the base 6.

Integral with the cam an arm I2 may be provided, and such arm may be engaged, as shown, by a vertical bar I3 carried by the reciprocating head 8. During the descent of the head the cam is rotated counterclockwise (Fig. X), and in manifest way it shifts block 4b towards block 4a and closes the matrix upon the blank introduced thereto. Upon the rise of the head 8, and the consequent clockwise rotation of the cam, one or more springs I4, arranged between the blocks, operate to shift block 4b away from block lla and open'the matrix.

Integral with the die-block 4a is a portion 4f that extends outward and downward from the matrix M. The side face 4h. of such portion provides, above the horizontal plane of the matrix oor 4c, an angular continuation of the side face de of the matrix, the degree of angularity being indicated at c in Fig. IV. Below such horizontal plane, this angularly extending side face 4h is continued downward and inward to 5 the vertically extending, curved edge 41e of the block 4a, which edge, as shown in Figs. III and VII, is contoured to the curvature of the crookshaped head of the rail fastener I, 2, and is canted with respect to the matrix M, to the lo same degree that the head of the rail fastener is canted to the shank. The face 4h of the die portion 4f is of concave, conical form. More specifically, the face 4h comprises, substantially,

a quarter segment of the side surface of a cone, 15 whose axis is indicated at A-A, Fig. IV, and as presently will appear such face operates as a guide, defining or establishing the path through which the free ends of the blank are bent-the path that, in accordance with the method de- 20 scribed above, extends in, and circumferentially of, a conicalgsurface.

The means for bending the legs of the blank consist in an auxiliary die block I5 having a contoured face I5lc complementary in form to 25 the contoured' edge 4k of block 4a, and adapted to cooperate therewith in forming the head 2 of the rail fastener. The auxiliary die I5 is secured to andbetween a pair of radial arms I6. The arms IB are arranged astraddle the die as- 30 sembly 4, 5; the arms are provided with journals Il that are rotatable on the cone axis A-A, in bearings I8 fixed to base 6. On each journal a segmental gear I9 is secured, and meshing with each gear is gear-rack 28, carried by the recip- 35 rocating head 8.

When the head 8 is at the upper limit of its range of reciprocation the dies 4Il and 5 are spread and the matrix M is open, as shown in Fig. IV, and the auxiliary die I5 and its asso- ,u ciate parts are in the positions illustrated in Fig. III. Then it is that a blank B is introducedV to the matrix, it being noted that the folded or closed end ofthe blank is positioned in the matrix, with the opposite, bipartite end of the blanky extending outward from the matrix adjacent to the conical face 4h01' the die portion 4f. As in the course of its reciprocation, the head 8 descends, the die block 4b closes laterally, while the male die closes vertically, 50 upon the blank, and the auxiliary ydie I5 swings in clockwise direction (Fig. III) towards engagement with the projecting legs of the blank. The die block 4b, in its matrix-closing movement, pressesthe blank B against the surfaces 4e and 55 4h, with the consequence and effect that the outer or free ends of the legs of the blank are (as shown in Fig. VI) bent from the plane in which such legs were initially centered. The descent of the head continues unabated, and, 60 while the male die 5 under spring tension clamps the folded, end ofthe blank in thematrix, the auxiliary die I5 comes to engagement with .the projecting ends of the blank. The rotating die I5 closes the engaged ends of the blank upon 65 one another (Fig. V), and, While securing such ends in contact with the conical guiding surface 4h, bends and shapes `them-against the contoured edge Ik of die. block 4a., under the pressure of the contoured face I5lc of the die I5, into the crook- 70 shaped head 2, as shown in Fig. IX. As the die I5 Aapproaches this ultimate position or stage of operation, and clamps the -shaped -bipartite end (2) of the blank against the-block 4, the descending-head 8 closes uponthe Vmale die' 5, forcing 75 such die downward and closing the leg portions of the blank in the matrix into the form of the shank I. In such way the rail fastener is produced.

The contoured edge 4k of the block 4a includes a recess or groove 4k', which is of such form that, when the complementary face |510 of the die I5 shapes the blank against the said edge 4k, not only is the canted crook-shaped head formed, but the desired twist is given to the tip of the crook.

It is to be understood that the method of this invention aords many advantages over such other methods as may be employed in the production of thev article in mind. For example, article may be produced in a single machine operation; economyT and speed of production are realized; accuracy in structural detail is obtained; and the two legs or limbs of spring` steel, n

forming the body of the finished article, are

secure in the desired surface-to-surface contact-a condition difcult to obtain in the manufacture of such bipartite and resilient articles.

Notice is hereby given of an application, Serial Number 324,458, led by me on March 18, 1940,

as a division of the application for this patent.

I claim as my invention:

l. The method herein described that includes folding a strap of spring steel into an 'il-shaped blank, clamping the folded end of the blank, pressing the free ends of the legs of the blank together and bending them, relatively to the united ends of the legs, to a diminishing spiral that conforms to a conical surface and shaping the so-bent ends of the legs into a crook, and, while clamping the ends of the legs of the bipartite crook together, pressing the folded end of the blank into a shank.

2. The method herein described that consists in folding a strap of spring steel into an U-shaped blank, with the legs of the U centered in a common plane, pressing the free ends of the legs to a position of angularity with respect to such plane, and pressing the so bent-aside ends of the legs together and bending them, relatively to the folded end of the blank, to a reversely curved crook that conforms to a conical surface, and twisting the tip of the so-curved end of the blank on the axis of its extent from the body of the crook, and, While clamping the legs of the bipartite twisted crook in surface-tosurface contact, closing the folded end of the blank into the form of a shank.

WILLIAM L. FADER, JR. 

